JK Front Speaker Enclosure Modification
 

I recently replaced all four speakers in my JK Unlimited with some Pioneer TS-G1643R's. I wanted to keep the stock stereo unit and chose these speakers because of their good efficiency (90db/watt). You can now feel the bass drum kick and the sound level is audibly higher with the stock radio. The back speakers in the sound bar were worth changing because the stock speakers did not have tweeters but the Pioneers do so you can hear the rears from the drivers seat now.


First remove the stock enclosures from your vehicle. Search the forum for how to do this as others have posted very good information that I used when I did my R&R



Drill a 2.125 hole in the back of the enclosure. Size the hole depending on the OD of the PVC pipe. Measure carefully so the tube will fit snugly.

Attachment 227508

Cut the PVC 2 inches long. Here is photo of the hole cut and the PVC cut.


Attachment 227458

Press the PVC into the hole and leave a small amount sticking out. Use a 2 part epoxy to bond the PVC tube to the enclosure. Here is a picture with the tube installed.

Attachment 227505

Fill the back of the enclosure with polyester matting like the kind that is used to stuff cushions. You can buy this at a fabric store. Try and keep the material from completely covering the port you just installed.

Attachment 227499


Using small pieces of Dynamat cover up the holes around the perimeter of the speaker on the back side. Completely cover the exterior of the enclosure with Dynamat. Connect the speaker wires and be careful about the polarity or else the speakers will be out of phase and low frequencies will be affected. Use the screws supplied by the vendor to mount the speaker. Reinstall the enclosures in your Jeep and prepare to rock! . I will answer any questions that are posted.

Attachment 227523

I actually like my stock stereo for a change so I've been wondering what speakers match up well. I'll have to look into these.

On the other hand... what is the point of the pvc pipe in the back of the speaker? My only guess is since your poly filling the speaker enclosure to get more air "space" then your effectively porting the box? Looks good though!

Vladimer, speaker designs generally are two distinct types: Acoustic Suspension- the box is air-tight and Bass-Reflex the box has a tuned port. Acoustic Suspension systems require more power for a given amount of air movement (Jeep factory design) Bass-Reflex which is what I covered in this write up are more efficient (louder for a given volume setting) because when the speaker moves forward to push air to create sound and then starts to return to its original position, the air in the box is pushed out of the "tuned port" to extend the sound. The tuned port delays the wave from the back of the speaker so it does not cancel out the sound from the front of the speaker. Low frequencies are the hardest to create because it is strictly the ability to move air. That is why you see these huge 12 inch woofers in small cars :) Sealed systems with lots of amplifier power are the best for tight low frequency performance but that was not an option with the stock head. Most of the audio upgrades on this site for better low end response involve a sub-woofer and external amplifier. The speakers I bought for this write up cost $72.00 for 4 on sale and I can still "feel" the low end with the roof down @ 65 on the highway.

BTW, I installed all four speakers originally in the stock enclosures and was pissed because it sounded like crap. I disassembled the dash for a second time (I know, what was he thinking) and played with the configuration till I was happy. My original post would only allow 5 pictures even though I shot quite a few more than that. Here is a shot of the finished assembly prior to re-installation for the second time. Next Spring, I am going to tackle the sound bar enclosures and will probably buy a junk yard radio from another Chrysler product that does not have the reduced rear channel power if I can not figure out how to override the stock Jeep head. It probably be easier to replace the stock head with an aftermarket unit but I want to discourage thieves since my roof is down every chance I get.

Pasoup1

[ATTACH]227941[/ATTACH

That's a really nice piece of work! A great mod for low bux and good results.

Did you tune the port with a voltmeter and audio generator, or just wing it? :)

Sure makes ya wonder why Jeep didn't do it this way.

Freewill
I put the maximum length port I could fit in the factory enclosure. I tested the units on the bench with a home stereo and had a good feeling. My first CD I played was Nickleback and the bass was awesome even at low volumes. BTW, the bass setting is set to 1 on my radio midrange 0 and tremble 5. Jeep wanted to save the dough. The Dynamat cost $30 bucks....but it was worth it because the enclosure will not resonate anymore.

Pasoup1

are these amplified?

Nice work! :thumbsup:

Thanks for taking the time to explain Pasoup1. Where abouts did you find those speakers? I can't seem to find any sign of these on google or ebay :thinking:

Correct Part Number ..Sorry!
 

Vladimer,
The reason you can not find the speakers is because my original post had a typo for the part number. The correct part number is Pioneer GS-1643R. I paid $37 a pair on sale for mine. I corrected my original post... sorry for the confusion. I just did a search and they are being sold from Walmart to Amazon.

Pasoup1

BoxingAdvisor,
No, the speakers are powered only by the factory radio. The volume level and bass response are greatly improved over the factory setup.